Confessions of a News Junkie

There is no age minimum for role models. A high school track athlete begean soliciting sock donations eight years ago from generous community individuals, groups and corporations. The sock donation project began as an effort to keep homeless citizens of Berekely warm during winter months and the project expanded into the larger Bay Area. Since 1999, Amelia Pennewell has sent socks to humanitarian relief projects, such as victims of Hurricane Katrina, to US troops, and underprivledged communities abroad.
Stories about volunteer successes from average citizens (aka not mutli-millionaires) can encourage similar efforts by others. This case demonstrates a young lady whom started to change the world by building on her local assets, such as generous individuals and her dedication and large heart.

See: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/16566074.htm

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyid=2007-01-28T130103Z_01_L2820279_RTRUKOC_0_US-WARCRIMES-CONGO.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Usually long links mess up the blog format...sorry in advance if that is the case this time. This article is about how the ICC will decide whether or not to commence its first trial. I will try to get some "inside comments" from a friend who is a clerk on the court.

The violence between Hezbollah and Israel forces destroyed Lebanese towns in 2006, and the Lebanese Government continues to rummage for financial resources and other mechanisms to stabilize its homeland and create peace among its citizens. Despite Hezbollah's active efforts and success in restoring villages within Lebanon, the Government refuses to grant the group any representation in governmental activities and decisions. The United States, France, and the EU pledge to assist Lebanon's government in reconstruction efforts, of which Condoleezza Rice says that funds (from the US) should be earmarked for community needs. Hezbollah is receiving funding from Syria and Iran, the two vital actors in suggested plans to improve sectarian conditions in Iraq.
The US has not engaged in talking with either state about helping mitigate violence in Iraq, and the three's disagreement over Lebanese allies suggests that an assemblence of the US with Iran or Syria is even more unlikely. The future of the war in Iraq and of Lebanese stability will be contingent on the US' relationship with Syria and Iran. Even though western nations within the EU may strongly oppose actions by Syria and Iran in supporting Hezbollah, the US has a critical responsibility to open discourse with the two nations in order to foster peace plans that will ultimately improve the quality of life for citizens of Iraq and Lebanon.

Re: "In Arab Capital of US, Ethnic Divide Remains," New York Times, January 23, 2007.

Dearborn, Michigan hosts the largest population of Arab-Americans in the country. It's City Hall is nonetheless underrepresented by Arab individuals because of internal divisions among Arab Yemenis, Lebanese, Iraqis, and others. The game is not over! Although John O'Reilly holds 65% of expected votes, Abed Hammoud may have a chance of office with 30% of the city's support.
The implication of Arab-Americans running for City Hall may yield tolerance among Americans who typically associate an "Arab" person with terrorism. And even if the incumbent candidate, O'Reilly, wins this election, Arabs shall persist at achieving political offices in order to represent America's diversity more accurately.

A KKK member killed two young black men in 1964 in Mississippi. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/16541649.htm
The civil rights era consumed FBI officials into southern investigations of KKK and white-power violence against blacks. The case was unresolved until 2000, because the FBI had turned the case to local authorities in not long after the murder. James Ford Seale was presumed dead by the Justice Department due to reporters' accounts from Seale's family. Thanks to the documentary filmmaker David Ridgen, Seale was found alive in 2005. Preserving the effectiveness of the American judicial system may be the remaining visible evidence of upheld American values.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/nation/16541649.htm

Uh Oh! Today is a revolutionary day on the news junkie blog...I should remind all of the once great "4th Century," ultimately undone by its own greatness :) The blog was set up to bring together a plurality of backgrounds and perspectives from academia...surely the posts were diverse...so much so that ultimately it fell apart amidst squabbling about how to get a discussion going. Today I am leaving the implicit bounds of this blog (perhaps to be condemned by the web mastress ;) I feel like putting up two poems by one of my favorite poets...German Romantic Friedrich Hölderlin. The poems are entitled "Der Ister" and "Die Titanen" (The Ister and The Titans). The Ister is the Greek name for the Danube river, dividing east and west in Europe and connecting the Occident to the Orient mythically. They are printed in Jacket Magazine (different translation than I like, but beggars cannot be choosers). So think Promethean and "Come now fire...!" I am in a Norse-Germanic mood tonight thinking upon fond memories of Nordic countries, languages and friends...as well as the German language, and Viennese art and society with the web mastress herself! So forgive my indulgence...and enjoy!

http://jacketmagazine.com/27/hold-trans-2.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2157857/?nav=tap3

This is an article of one of the latest attempts to avoid court review of an executive policy by "withdrawing" the alleged unlawful behavior.

Human rights activists have revealed inhumane punishments inside Egyptian prisons. Such crimes include physical torture and rape (digusting details in LATimes). The victims are often guilty of petty offenses, such as defying police authority.

The government has imprisoned at least two police officers for such crimes.

Nonetheless, the United States has paid little attention to the crimes. Human Rights Watch is campaigning for more oversight of police and prison activities from the Egyptian Government.
The United States could send an envoy to Egypt as an effort to both contain police corruption and demonstrate a commitment to protecting human rights; this demonstration is important since the world has been critically aware of US prison treatment for suspected terrorists.

For more information, visit LATimes:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-egypt20jan20,1,1296114.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=1&cset=true

January 2007 Policy Updates:

Congress has an ambitious 2007 agenda resulting from Americans' demand for changes in government policies. Immigration reform includes revising the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and the US/Mexico border rules. Some eastern European countries such as Estonia and Poland are pressing the US for admittance to the Program, so that their citizens may bypass Visa requirements when traveling within the US for 90 days or less. These countries justify an accredited VWP status because they have supported the US Government's War on Terror.
The US has responded to the request by proposing extended background checks on VWP citizens in addition to an elevated security baggage and vehicle inspections system.

The United States Citizens and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been accused with insufficient research and background investigations on individuals in the temporary worker program and new US entrants at the US/Mexico border (Many workers possess a VISIT pass - US Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology). Such reviews of these organizations can be reveiwed in the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Among the reforms for US/Mexico border security, Congress is reviewing a costly seven hundred mile fence, and more Government oversight in the temporary worker program, with possible paths to citizenship.

The New York Times published an article today that outline Congressional initiatives to combat the sources of climate change. Senators Diane Feinstein and Thomas Carper are leading are leading chairman for bills to regulate facilities that emmit carbon dioxide. ("Bills on Climate Move To Spotlight in New Congress," New York Times, January 18, 2007.)

Also: European Union President Angela Merkel demands a revision of teh EU Constitution before 2009, she cites the organization's obligation to ensure energy supplies among EU members, citing Russia as disrupting open-energy policy by refusing to negotiate deals with Belarus. ("German Leader Vows to Revive Constitution for Europe," New York Times, January 18, 2007.)

The next post will regard Immigration policies and issues. The Migration Policy Institute is a great source. The link below demonstrates research in 2007 Democrat-led initiatives. Okay, fine, some Rs contribute too!

http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=573

In his article, "Genocide and global indifference," (http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070112/news_lz1e12bryjak.html) George Bryjak sends the imperative concern of genocide in Darfur. The United States' once outstanding human rights record has been falling since World War Two, including a very late reaction to the Rwanda genocide in the 1990s. The United Nations continues to exhort pressure on Sudanese President, Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir, in order to allow entry of peace keeping and mediation forces. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson also visited the region to send his concerns for human suffering and genocide in Darfur. Bryjak and Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times are helping to report the evidence of human rights violations and catastrophic crimes and it is time for the United States Government and aid organizations to support and enhance the UN's peacekeeping efforts.

To paraphrase Tom Lehrer - There are groups of people in this world who hate other groups of people and I HATE people like that!
Why can't we all just get LaFong.

The US bombed a suspected terrorist enclave yesterday. The motive of the strike was to attack Al-Qaeda leaders connected with US embassy bombings in 1998. Though I favor peace over war, such deterrents of targeted bombs make sense in order to thwart global terrorism. Or do they? Not only might the United States' aggressive actions augment complications in Somalia, currently at war with Ethiopia, I still can't find credible evidence that attacking small enclaves in Iraq, Afghanistan, and various African countries can "win" the war on terror.
I don't think there ever will be a winner in this war.

The war at home persists between followers of Islam and the rest of the country. Muslims are targeted daily for associations with violent terror groups. Eyebrows rose even as Democratic Representative from Minnesota Keith Ellison wanted to be sworn in (taking ceremonial oath of office) using the Koran, rather than the Christian or Jewish Bible. This was not the first time a rookie official requested an alternative document/text for the ceremony. Still conservative columnists and fellow legislators have criticized non-Christian ceremonies of office.

Intolerance for Muslims increases the opportunity for hatred and sends paradoxical messages about acceptance. For example, some citizens link Muslims to terrorism because the majority of known terrorist factions practice Islam. Of which religion was the Ku Klux Klan?

The new Speaker of the US House of Representatives is Nancy Pelosi. Her success has been covered by news sources from BBC and the New York Times to San Diego Union Tribune, and perhaps much of the attention reflects her chromosome composition. Still more important than the "girl's rule" movement may be found in recent news transcripts and editorials over her leadership role and the Democratic powerhouse. Commentators are usually accurate in their attempts to predict upcoming changes in US foreign policy for Iraq, as well as oversight in ethicial codes - such as for corporations like Enron and Washington officials like San Diego's former Congressman Randy Cunningham.

Although I hope the Democrat's will continue initiatives for troop withdrawl in Iraq*, the funding programs to combat AIDS in Africa, or the hard-lined policies against Hamas leaders in Palestine. Moreover, the new Congress was not elected through Democrats loyal to party ideals, but rather a general consensus among the electorate to change US domestic and foreign agendas. EOne example of a sort of "centrist" attitude from US voters can be found from such states elections as Colorado, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania - which all voted for governors whose party or personal principles oppose the bulk of new state policies regarding abortion, as of November 2006.

America’s political demography now demonstrates that both Republicans and Democrats rely less on their parties for voting cues and are thus inspired by individual issues and candidates. And like Democrats, Republicans want to reform many domestic and foreign policies, which may explain why Christopher Caldwell writes that 47% of voters described themselves as ‘moderates’ at the polls.** In the same article, Caldwell concludes that moderate Republican candidates, especially those endorsed by President Bush, suffered the greatest loses. The majority of elected officials represent an extreme right-wing agenda. The Financial Times also points out that support for ballot initiatives leading the new domestic strategies over abortion, affirmative action and gay marriage “do not break down neatly on party lines.”***

Congress has earmarked funds under the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to require 1/3 of preventative funds to promote Abstinence programs/eduaction. The earmark is consistent with the Bush administration's conservative schemes to spread it's ideologies regarding sex and morals. Since the stringent PEPFAR Abstinence programs began in 2004, most African countries have complained that local communities do not respond to the programs with sexual behavior change. PEPFAR reports from teh Government Accountability Office and Health Organizations suggest that many Africans do not adopt abstinence because women are unable to negotiate sex and talking about AIDS can stigmatize individuals from their families and communities, which make it unlikely that combating sexually transmitted AIDS will succeed from the immersion of Africans into unfamiliar approaches to sex, like abstinence. Furthermore, the program implementors are often confused by contrasting agendas and guidelines from Mr. Trybl - the Global AIDS Coordinator.

The Government sent financial support to Palestine for humanitarian relief programs in Gaza. Since Hamas took over, the funds are now allocated to protect the security and initiatives of Palestine President Abbas. Abbas may need protections, given the contrasting principles between Hamas leadership and Presidential power, but efforts for mediating the conflicts within Palestine and between Israel and Palestine have barely inched towards peace. Therefore, the Democrats may lobby Bush and Rice to work more with Middle-eastern politics, rather than containing leadership against traditional "enemies"; this example of containing/ stubborn attitude (refusal to talk with) national powers is also happening between the US, Iran and Syria.

So I challenge the new leaders to tackle the predetermined social agenda of Presidential initiatives, including policies to reduce sexually transmitted AIDS in Africa and more liberal strategies for mediating middle-eastern tensions. Nancy Pelosi should not ignore the United States' global resposibility to leave domestic ideologies at home in order to engage initiatives that address needs specific to regional/local communities. Surely, Iraq will continue to lead US Foreign Policy agenda, but the new Congress can also find ways to improve other failures of the Bush administration, regardless of party affiliation.


*Info on troops: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6236225.stm
**Christopher Caldwell. “America’s Shift in Conservatism.” Financial Times. 11/12/06, p. 9.
**** “Democrats Struggle to Win the Culture Wars, Voting on social issues does not always follow party lines.” Financial Times. 11/10/06, p. 14.

Thank you Beau!